Well and Good

Jessica and Rocky Szenczy bought a home in La Pine sight-unseen after falling on hard times. “We had nowhere else to go,” Rocky said. “We were in a bind, and we bought this place.”
Only after moving did they realize that the property used to be a junkyard, with scraps of garbage still strewn about. What’s worse, the couple discovered that the home’s well was only 30 feet deep, and it was running dry.
“I had to clean the filters twice a week,” Rocky said. Still, black sand and muck came through the filter and into their home. They only had access to that grimy water—clogging the showerhead and dirtying drinking water. Desperate, they reached out to NeighborImpact’s Lending program.
With Lending’s help, Jessica and Rocky had a new well drilled on their property in just two weeks, despite complications. The well had to be relocated, because the drills struck junkyard scrap like old rugs and appliances. Nonetheless, the project succeeded. Jessica and Rocky are immensely grateful to NeighborImpact and the partners who made it happen. “They were all good people—local—I like that,” Rocky said. “They took care of us.”
Our Lending program facilitated 20 new wells last fiscal year. Thanks to Deschutes County, we have $400,000 more for new well projects and $185,000 available as reimbursements to